Only Her (A K2 Team Novel)(31)
“Okay.”
Riley followed Michelle out, turning right to go to room two. “How is he?” She could hear the medium-sized mixed-breed dog’s labored breathing as soon as she entered. She pressed her stethoscope to his chest, alarmed at the rapid beat of his heart.
“I’ve got everything ready to flush him,” Brooke said.
“It’s okay, Sam,” Riley said when he convulsed. She kept talking to him, hoping to calm him as they rid the poison from his stomach. Anger that anyone would intentionally harm an animal simmered, but she would get mad later. Right now she had a dog to save.
When his stomach was empty, she washed her hands. “All we can do is wait. Stay with him, and I’ll go talk to Mr. Hatchel.” Before she went to the waiting room, she made a stop in her office and called Mike.
“Kilpatrick.”
“Hi, Mike. This is Riley. You have a minute?”
“For you? Always.”
Laying it on a bit too heavy, Mike. “Yeah, okay. Ah . . . listen, I have another poisoned animal. A dog this time. I’m about to go talk to the owner, see what he knows.”
“I’m finishing up a late lunch. I’ll swing by in a bit.”
“Thanks. See you soon.”
“Hey, Riley?”
“Yeah?”
“Looking forward to it.”
She disconnected, uncomfortable with how personal he’d made the call. Nor did her stomach flutter the same way it did when Cody said her name. Her focus was on finding the person responsible for harming the animals, and maybe she didn’t need the complication of a man in her life right now.
“Mr. Hatchel,” she said, walking up to the man.
He stood. “How’s Sam?”
“He’s not out of the woods, but we’re doing everything we can.” She hated this part of her job. He was a widower, a retired department store buyer, and a nice man. His dog was all he had.
“Please, Dr. Austin—”
“I know.” She placed her hand on his arm. “We’re doing everything we can for him. I want Sam to stay with us overnight so we can keep an eye on him.”
“Whatever you think necessary. What’s wrong with him? He’s only three years old, so he shouldn’t be getting sick, should he?”
“Does he spend time outside?”
“Yes. My back yard is fenced in, and I let him out back there.”
She asked a few more questions, learning that he lived on a corner lot, and that he’d not noticed anyone in the neighborhood he didn’t recognize. “I think Sam was poisoned,” she said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to have an officer stop by and take a look around your yard.”
“Poisoned?”
“I think so.”
“Who would do such a thing?”
“I wish I knew. Give us a call in the morning, and we’ll let you know if you can come pick him up.”
He removed his glasses, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and cleaned them. “Will you call me if he . . . if he—”
“I promise I’ll call if there’s any change.” Tears pooled in his eyes, and Riley impulsively gave him a hug. He walked out, his shoulders slumped, and she blinked away her own tears. Mike hadn’t arrived yet, and she was running behind, so she gave Michelle instructions on what to tell him when he stopped by.
“Give him Mr. Hatchel’s address and ask him to take a look around the yard.” Seeing that Lisa had chosen to wait with Barney, she took them to an exam room. Mike might be disappointed that she wasn’t available, but she wasn’t in the mood to be flirted with.
The rest of the afternoon, she played catch up, going from one exam room to the next without a break. Sam seemed to be doing better, and she went to his kennel to check on him one last time. She told Denny, the college student who spent his nights at her clinic, to call her if the dog’s condition worsened. Denny was a good kid, reliable and trustworthy. Often when they had a sick animal, he would make a bed near the kennel so he could keep an eye on it.
Before she left, she walked to the big cages, but there were no dogs wagging their tails at the sight of her. “Where’re Pretty Girl and Sally?”
Denny shrugged. “They were gone when I got here. Figured the owner picked them up.”
Why hadn’t Michelle let her know Cody had stopped by? She went to the front. “Cody pick up Pretty Girl and Sally?”
Michelle turned off her computer. “Yeah, about two hours ago. Told him I’d let you know he was here, but he said not to bother you.” She slipped her purse strap over her shoulder. “He wanted his dogs, and he got his dogs.”
“That’s fine.” Something was going on with him, but she couldn’t imagine what.